Unspoken Thoughts
by AZNrawk
Summary: A thought that is never spoken can never hurt anyone. Sasuke has walked down a path of darkness, with nothing but his unspoken thoughts to remind him of why he ever chose the path in the first place. His thoughts are the only hope he has... of ever returning to Konoha.


_Are you happy now? _He thought as he peered at his former friends below him. _Have you escaped the darkness?_

When his replacement, the one with the tanto, started talking about making bonds, he almost smiled. He didn't, of course, but it made him happy to hear about Naruto's new friend. _Naruto… Sakura… have you moved on? _

"I only have one bond. A bond of hatred with my brother," He said. _Can't you see? I can only cause you pain and anger. Just forget about me, and spare yourself the pain._

Naruto was never one to understand double meanings. "Sasuke! Why didn't you kill me that day?"

"It was something my brother said would make me stronger. Frankly, the idea of following what he said made me sick. That day, I let you live on a whim." _You better stay alive, dobe. How are you ever going to be Hokage if you die?_

As he sprang forward, appearing at Naruto's side, he said: "Come to think of it, wasn't your dream to be Hokage? You should've spent your time training instead of wasting it running around chasing me." _I mean it, Naruto. My path is already set in the darkness, but you can become Hokage. Follow your dreams, and stop wasting your life on me._ "And this time, I'm going to kill you on a whim."

Naruto's next words chilled him to the bone. "Someone who can't even save one friend doesn't deserve to be Hokage."

_No, you can't save me, but you deserve to be Hokage more than anyone. Can't you see, Naruto? If you just focus on becoming Hokage, then maybe one day you can stop the darkness. Until then, I just have to do my job and make you give up on me. _

As he slid his katana out of his sheath, watching Sakura's betrayed expression out of the corner of his eye, he felt a rush of relief as his replacement moved to stop him. _Sakura…_

_You're probably still annoying, but I can tell you've worked hard to get stronger, just like Naruto. Don't waste your hard work on me… please. Both of you…_

As he prepared to use Chidori Current, he thought about the day that had led to this.

The Sound Four approached him. "Join Orochimaru-sama, and you'll get the power you so desperately crave."

"Hell no," Sasuke snarled. "Orochimaru is a traitor to this village!"

"That's true, but who else in this village can help you beat your brother?" Sakon said. "And who in this village is powerful enough to protect your little Team 7?"

"What are you suggesting?" Sasuke growled, his voice cold.

"Exactly what is sounds like. If you don't want to come, that's fine. We'll leave you in peace… but that doesn't go for your friends, Sakura Haruno and Naruto Uzumaki. Besides, even if you don't come, Orochimaru-sama himself will come for you, and there's no doubt Kakashi Hatake would just allow that. Even as revered as Sharingan Kakashi is, there's no way he could beat Orochimaru, and you know that, don't you?"

"I won't let you hurt my friends!" Sasuke snarled. "This village has two Sannin and they sure as hell won't let Orochimaru do as he please."

"That's true," Sakon purred. "Orochimaru-sama may not come directly into the village, but can you promise that it won't be _you _that ends up hurting your friends?"

"What the hell do you mean?" Sasuke asked.

"That little mark on your neck… do you really have full control over it?" Sakon smirked. "How can you promise that you'll protect your friends when you could just as easily end up hurting them? I'm sure you've already noticed that you don't have full control over it… and do you really think that Orochimaru-sama would be so blind as to give you such a source of power and not have some way of controlling it?"

"I would never-"

"Ahh, but who ever said you had a choice? Like I said, Orochimaru-sama could just choose any time for you to… well, let's just say, Sakura and Naruto won't be your friends after that," Sakon purred.

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" Sasuke mumbled, losing ground.

Sakon snapped his fingers. Just like that, Sasuke felt frozen and distanced from his surroundings. Only when his vision revealed Sakon to be drawing closer, did he realize that he was walking. "Do you see now? And it's not genjustsu. You can see for yourself, Uchiha."

As his Sharingan activated, he could see it. In Sakon's hands, was a dark lump of purple chakra that resembled what came from his cursed seal.

"Fine," Sasuke ground out.

"Well, we'll let you get your stuff. Meet us at nightfall outside of the gate," Sakon smirked again, before the four disappeared.

That day, Sasuke's mind ran through a thousand scenarios on how to get out of this. He could try telling Lady Tsunade, but as Sakon had pointed out, Orochimaru was the most powerful out of the three Sannin. There was no doubt that to get to him, Orochimaru would be willing to kill all the people in Konoha. He could try killing himself…

How would Naruto and Sakura deal with it? What would happen if he wasn't successful? Then he'd be locked up in a padded white room and they'd get hurt anyways. He couldn't risk that… and he wanted to be able to say goodbye, or see them in the future.

He decided to go along with Orochimaru, seemingly bent on revenge for his brother, and then… when he could, he'd kill them both and return to Konoha, even if he had to go to jail. _I promise, I will return one day, if only to lift this burden off your shoulders._

As he started his trek out of Konoha, he glanced once more at the buildings he wouldn't be seeing again for a very, very long time. As he walked, he felt a rush of relief but also sadness when he saw Sakura standing on his path. _Sakura… forget about me._

"What are you doing, Sasuke?" she called out to him. For once, she seemed to be opposing him.

"Leaving. I need power, and I can't get it in Konoha." Even to him, his voice sounded cold.

As he started walking past her, he was surprised to feel her come behind him. "Take me with you! Please… Just don't leave me, Sasuke!"

_If you come with me… you will only know a life of sadness. If I tell you the truth, you'll just be reckless and try to stop me… and I might hurt you. _"Thank you, Sakura." _Live your life, and forget about me. I will only ever bring you pain…_

He couldn't resist, but to say: "I won't forget you… or Naruto." Before he hit the back of her neck and knocked her out.

_I won't ever forget you… Sakura._

"Chidori Nagashi!"

_One day… you will be freed of the burden I have placed on you. I promise… Once I kill Orochimaru, and my brother, I will come back. Until then, I can do nothing but cause you pain… I'm sorry._

Even as his heart broke, seeing the betrayal in Naruto's and Sakura's faces, he kept fighting. He fought against his friends to protect them… so that one day they would be Team 7 again.

**Author's note:**

**Hey, first Naruto fic, everyone. Sasuke used to be my favorite character as a kid, and I hated that he abandoned his friends even when he fought so hard to protect them. I felt like there always should have been more to his abandonment, not just that he was hungry for power. **

**I think, no matter how buried it was, he still had a few scraps of humanity left in him. Sadly, the death of Itachi twisted him even farther, but I'm excited to see how the most recent episodes will play out. ;)**

**Anyways, all constructive criticism and reviews are appreciated. This is a one-shot, but I'm considering making it into a two-shot, or even a series.**

**-AZNrawk**


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